DLA Piper partner Norman Leon named a Law360 Employment MVP

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that Norman Leon, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, has been named a 2020 Law360 Employment MVP. Law360 selected just 189 attorneys from more than 900 submissions for its annual list of MVPs, highlighting those who “have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.”

The editors highlighted Leon’s successful argument to the Third Circuit that the inclusion of the American Arbitration Association’s rules in an arbitration agreement constitutes clear and unmistakable evidence of the parties’ intent to delegate arbitrability issues to an arbitrator despite a signatory’s alleged lack of sophistication, as well as his successful representation of Domino’s in a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general that alleged Domino’s was responsible for three franchisees that allegedly underpaid their employees, a case that Leon called a “bellwether for joint employer litigation.”

“Norm is an immensely skilled and experienced practitioner, and it has been a pleasure for us to collaborate with him on a range of complex matters,” said Brian Kaplan, global co-chair and US chair of DLA Piper’s Employment practice. “Norm’s work has been at the forefront of the intersection of franchise law and employment law. Our cross-disciplinary approach has resulted in a number of key wins for our clients, and this recognition for Norm is very well deserved.”

Leon has represented franchisors in actions and proceedings including wage and hour class and collective actions, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, consumer fraud, tortious interference with contract, unfair trade practices, breach of fiduciary duty, franchisee terminations and the enforcement of post-termination covenants.